Add Easy Texture to Your Hat

I am not really a person who wears hats, but there’s something about the depths of January that makes me want to knit hats. They’re great fast projects and actually are really helpful to keep you warm (I’ve lately taken to wearing one inside the house when I’m super cold, which is often when it’s actually cold outside).

If you’re in the market for a new hat to knit this year, allow me to offer Winter Dusk by Andrea Tong.

This DK weight hat is worked from the bottom up in the round and uses puff stitches to add easy texture, and it comes in four sizes. A DK weight hat would actually be great for wearing in the house (or office, or wherever you happen to be these days) because it’s not too heavy. Or if you have a lot of hair and don’t like to wear full hats, you can leave off the very top of the hat and make it a messy bun hat instead.

The pattern is available on Ravelry, or you can check it out at Two Sheeps. Apparently this pattern was part of their yarn calendar last year (which I did not know was a thing; this year’s calendar is a PDF only but you can check it out here).

You can also buy a kit from Two Sheeps that includes the pattern and the yarn. The yarn is from Hidden Pond Yarn and it’s called Ski Lodge at Dusk. It’s a baby alpaca, silk and cashmere blend, which sounds just like the sort of thing I’d like to have on my head right about now.

No matter where or how you buy it, the proceeds from the pattern sales will be donated to Knit the Rainbow, a charitable organization that provides handmade garments to unhoused LGBTQ+ youth. You can learn more about that organization here.

[Photo: Andrea Tong]

Stitch a Sweater with Stripes of Color and Texture

Stitch a Textured Cardigan with Nydia

Striped Textured Hat Baby Knitting Pattern

Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns!

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil.

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn.

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point.

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up.

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.

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